AHA Statement on Texas Legislation Featured in New York Amsterdam News (July 2021)

The AHA’s statement on the recently enacted Texas House Bill 3979 was featured in an article by Stephon Johnson in the Amsterdam News. Writing about the issues surrounding HB 3979 and its counterpart, Senate Bill 3, Johnson quoted the AHA’s opposition to the threats to historical integrity found in the so-called “divisive concepts” legislation: “As a result of this law, historical programming for the public throughout the state could be severely compromised.”

AHA Executive Director Featured in Article on Holocaust Education Bill (July 2021)

AHA executive director James Grossman was featured in a Jewish Telegraphic Agency article by Eleanor Stern about a bill in Louisiana that would have mandated Holocaust education in public schools. The article examined the relationship between the Holocaust education bill and the so-called “divisive concepts” bills that have recently been introduced in many state legislatures, including Louisiana. “You’re saying, ‘You have to teach the history of Holocaust, but you can’t teach the history of institutionalized, deeply embedded racism in the United States,’” Grossman said. “The irony is, you cannot understand the Holocaust without understanding institutional racism.”

AHA Staff Members Publish Article on “Divisive Concepts” Bills (July 2021)

An article in The Hill by AHA executive director James Grossman and AHA communications and marketing manager Jeremy C. Young explains the origins of the “divisive concepts” bills and argues that, contrary to politicians’ claims, there is actually “broad consensus” across partisan divides about how the impact of slavery and racism is taught in our schools. Pushing these "divisive concepts" bills, Grossman and Young write, is “the legislative equivalent of push-polling—creating division where none exists, raising fears about something that isn't even happening to score political points.”

AHA Director of Research and Publications Featured in Newsweek Article (July 2021)

AHA director of research and publications Sarah Weicksel was featured in a Newsweek article by Soo Kim about whether or not there is historical evidence to support the story of Betsy Ross making the first American flag. “In the end, I think the most important story here isn't about who exactly sewed the flag,” Weicksel said, “but rather, within what context—and that is a fascinating history about female artisans, their skilled craftsmanship, and the material world of the Revolution.”

AHA Executive Director Featured on En Conexión (July 2021)

AHA executive director James Grossman appeared on En Conexión. Host Cesar Miguel Rondón interviewed Grossman about the US Constitution and the importance of its amendments in guaranteeing rights to American citizens.

AHA Executive Director Quoted in Articles on Confederate Statue Removal (July 2021)

AHA executive director James Grossman was quoted in an ARTnews article by Shanti Escalante-De Mattei and in an Art Insider article by David Guido Pietroni about the US House of Representatives’ vote to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol building. “The Confederates committed treason to maintain the supposed right for some human beings to own others,” Grossman said. “And what nation honors people who committed treason?”

AHA Statement on LGBTQ+ History Curriculum Featured in New Republic Article (June 2021)

The AHA’s Statement on LGBTQ+ History Curriculum from May 2021 was featured in a New Republic article by Gabriel Arana about recent efforts to pass legislation that prohibits or limits the teaching of LGBTQ+ history in public schools.

AHA’s Criteria for Standards in History/Social Studies/Social Sciences Featured in South Florida Sun Sentinel Article (June 2021)

The AHA’s Criteria for Standards in History/Social Studies/Social Sciences were featured in a South Florida Sun Sentinel article by Sylvia Gurinsky. Gurinsky’s essay discusses the effects of lived experience on children’s perceptions of history and quotes a portion of the Criteria for Standards that advocates teaching students to “ask questions about that past that can be applied to contemporary issues.”

AHA-FDU Survey Featured in Media Coverage (June 2021)

Later this summer, the findings of a recent national survey of “people’s understandings and uses of the past” will be released on the AHA website. The survey is a collaboration between the American Historical Association and Fairleigh Dickinson University, and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Ahead of the release of the full results, various media outlets have published articles on the survey, including History News Network; WCCO radio; the Milwaukee Independent; and two articles in Time, “The Split in How Americans Think About Our Collective Past Is Real—But There’s a Way Out of the ‘History Wars’,” and “‘Critical Race Theory Is Simply the Latest Bogeyman.’ Inside the Fight Over What Kids Learn About America’s History.”

AHR Article Awarded Honorable Mention for SHAFR’s Bernath Scholarly Article Prize (June 2021)

Congratulations to Rebecca Herman (Univ. of California, Berkeley), whose article “The Global Politics of Anti-Racism: A View from the Canal Zone,” from the April 2020 issue of the American Historical Review, earned an honorable mention from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations’ Bernath Scholarly Article Prize. The Bernath Prize is awarded annually to “the author of a distinguished article appearing in a scholarly journal or edited book, on any topic in United States foreign relations.”

AHA Executive Director Featured in Media Discussing History Curricula in Schools (June 2021)

AHA executive director James Grossman was quoted in a Washington Examiner article by Michael Lee about public perceptions of critical race theory. Teaching about the role of racism in American institutions and American culture, Grossman said, “doesn’t mean that you are teaching students to hate them. It means you are teaching students to understand them.” Grossman also appeared on the online radio show The Perkins Platform in an episode on American History Perspective: What Our Public Schools Need in June 2021. 

Joint Statement Opposing “Divisive Concepts” Legislation Featured in Media Coverage (June 2021)

The joint statement recently issued by the AHA and partner organizations opposing legislative efforts to restrict education about racism in American history has been featured in the Bonners Ferry Herald, the Charlotte Observer, the Covington News, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Hammond Daily Star, the Huffington Post, Intelligencer, the International Business Times, Iowa Public Radio, KNAU Arizona Public Radio, the Long Island Herald, the Loudoun Times-Mirror, the Monroe Watchman, the Moultrie News, the National Review, New York Magazine, twice in the New York Daily News, the New York Times, three Straus News papers, Times Higher Education, and University Business.

AHR Featured in Nation Article on Tulsa Race Massacre (June 2021)

A Nation article by David M. Perry featured Karlos Hill’s essay, “Community-Engaged History: A Reflection on the 100th Anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,” which appears in the June 2021 issue of the American Historical Review. Perry’s article, “Confronting the Myth of Objectivity,” discussed Hill’s work teaching the Tulsa Race Massacre.

AHA Member and Perspectives Article Featured on Slate (June 2021)

AHA member Dina Kalman Spoerl (Naper Settlement) was featured in a Slate article, “‘This Blue Is the One She Wore Last,’” on May 30, 2021. The Slate article shares photos and excerpts from the scrapbook introduced in Spoerl’s April 2021 “Clothing Scrapbook” contribution to Perspectives on History’s “Everything Has a History” series.

AHA Executive Director Quoted in Article on Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy (May 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was quoted in a Hechinger Report article published at NBC News, “Can Critical Race Theory and Patriotism Coexist in Classrooms?” about divisions in how to approach history and civics curricula. “If people are fighting about history, that shows that it’s important,” Grossman said. “It’s what historians want them to do.”

National Coalition for History Issues Statement Opposing “Divisive Concepts” Legislation (May 2021)

The National Coalition for History (NCH) has released a statement opposing the passage of so-called “divisive concepts” legislation currently under consideration in numerous state legislatures. NCH “deplores the intent of these bills to foment confusion and have a chilling effect on teachers,” the statement said. “We denounce such bills as thinly veiled attempts to place limits on a curriculum which fosters a comprehensive and critical look at our history from a variety of perspectives.” The NCH provides leadership in history-related advocacy. The AHA is a member of the Coalition, and AHA representatives serve on its executive committee.

AHA Letter on Texas Education Bill Featured in Houston Chronicle (May 2021)

The AHA’s recent letter objecting to Texas House Bill 3979, legislation regarding the social studies curriculum in Texas public schools, was featured in a Houston Chronicle article about historians’ opposition to the bill.

AHR Featured on National Public Radio (May 2021)

An NPR article by Suzanne Perez featured Andrew Denning's essay "Deep Play? Video Games and the Historical Imaginary," which appeared in the American Historical Review’s March 2021 issue. In Perez’s article, Denning discussed historically themed video games such as Call of Duty: World War II, their potential applications in teaching history, and ways the public might use them to connect with history. 

Inside Higher Ed Publishes Article by Former AHA President and Current Executive Director (May 2021)

Former AHA president Mary Beth Norton (Cornell Univ.) and AHA executive director Jim Grossman have published an opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed, “Everything Has a History — but Only for the Elite?” TThe op-ed examines the recent decision by Aston University (UK) to dissolve its history department in the context of a broader attack on humanities teaching. “Especially at nonelite universities, governing boards and administrators have mistakenly assumed that history and other humanities subjects do not prepare students for jobs,” Norton and Grossman write. “History, like other humanities disciplines, might not prepare students for particular jobs. But it prepares them for a life of careers. Students who learn to think historically will be lifelong learners. In the 21st–century economy, that is rather practical indeed.” 

AHA-FDU Survey Featured in Time (April 2021)

In Time, AHA member Pete Burkholder and AHA deputy director Dana Schaffer report on the findings of a recent national survey “of people’s understandings and uses of the past.” The survey is a collaboration between the American Historical Association and Fairleigh Dickinson University, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the full results will be released later this summer. While “the survey data suggest the divisions are real when it comes to how we think about our collective past,” Burkholder and Schaffer write, “our findings offer a possible path out of the history wars by changing the focus from what sets of facts are taught to how they are taught.” The survey was also featured in a Time article by Olivia B. Waxman in June 2021, “‘Critical Race Theory Is Simply the Latest Bogeyman.’ Inside the Fight Over What Kids Learn About America's History.” 

AHA-FDU Public Engagement with History Survey Featured on History News Network (April 2021)

At History News Network, AHA member Peter Burkholder reported on some interesting trends revealed in a national survey recently conducted by the AHA and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the survey explored public engagement with history and showed that Americans prefer to “get information about the past” through video more than any other source.  The full results of the survey will be published later this summer on the AHA website. Burkholder also spoke about the survey in an interview with WCCO radio (Minneapolis) in May 2021. 

AHA President Quoted in New York Times (April 2021)

AHA president Jacqueline Jones (Univ. of Texas, Austin) was quoted in a New York Times article, “A New Benefit Raises an Old Question: Which Mothers Should Work?” about the expansion of the child tax credit. 

AHA Executive Director Quoted in Article on the Great Migration (April 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was quoted in a Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal article by Danny McArthur on the history of the Great Migration and racial violence in the South. “The country is reshaped,” Grossman said. “When 7 million people move from one region to two other regions, the West and the North, every aspect of national life is affected.” 

AHA Managing Editor Featured in Podcast (April 2021)

AHA managing editor Laura Ansley spoke with AHA member Christina Gessler on the New Books Network podcast The Academic Life for the episode “An Inside Look at the American Historical Association: An Interview with Laura Ansley.” According to the episode description, “In this episode you’ll hear about: Laura’s reasons for leaving academia, the path to her job at the American Historical Association, what the AHA is, how the insurrection on the US Capital on January 6th made historians ’relevant,’ and how historians continue to teach both inside and outside academia.” 

AHR Article Featured in Smithsonian Magazine (April 2021)

Monica H. Green's article “The Four Black Deaths,” which appeared in the American Historical Review’s December 2020 issue, was featured in a Smithsonian Magazine article by by David M. Perry. Perry described the significance of the “landmark” article and spoke with Green about her interdisciplinary research process. 

AHA Statement on Violence against Asians and Asian Americans Featured in Media Coverage (March 2021)

The AHA’s recent Statement on Violence against Asians and Asian Americans has received coverage in several media outlets, including Hyperallergic; the Moultrie News, which reprinted the statement in full; and The Michigan Daily. 

AHA Executive Director Quoted in the New York Times (March 2021)

AHA executive director James Grossman was quoted in a New York Times article by Concepción de León on the life and legacy of Black artist Augusta Savage. “Public art,” Grossman noted, “should align with a community’s values.” 

Perspectives on History Article Reprinted in Hill Rag (March 2021)

AHA’s Lawsuit Challenging ICE Records Disposition Covered by News Organizations (March 2021)

The AHA’s participation as plaintiffs in a successful lawsuit against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has received coverage from the American Independent, Business Insider, and The Hill. The lawsuit challenged NARA’s approval of ICE’s records disposition, which would have authorized ICE to destroy several categories of records documenting mistreatment of immigrants detained in ICE custody.

AHA Director of Research and Publications Featured in KKTV11 News Segment (March 2021)

AHA director of research and publications Sarah Weicksel was featured in a KKTV11 news segment on the effort to restore the name of Devils Tower, a national monument in Wyoming and “sacred, hallowed ground” to at least 15 tribal nations, to Bear’s Lodge.

AHA Letter to John Carroll University Leaders Featured in Ideastream (March 2021)

Ideastream reported on the recent decision by John Carroll University’s Board of Directors to add a “budgetary hardship” amendment to the university’s Faculty Handbook, a de facto elimination of tenure. The article cited the AHA’s letter to JCU leaders urging them to reconsider the decision. 

ACLS Letter to Iowa Lawmakers Featured in The Gazette (March 2021)

The Gazette reported on a letter the American Council of Learned Societies sent to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and state legislative leaders on March 4. The letter, which was signed by the AHA and more than 30 other scholarly societies and associations, strongly encouraged lawmakers to oppose House File 496 and Senate File 41, “which would remove the status of tenure for professors and discontinue the practice at Iowa’s three public universities.” 

Former AHA Executive Director Wins SHFG Award (February 2021)

Former AHA executive director Arnita Jones has been named the Society for History in the Federal Government’s 2021 Trask Award Winner. It is the society’s highest honor for “an esteemed career in service to Federal History and the Society.” In addition to being a founding member of both SHFG and the National Council on Public History, Jones was the executive director of the AHA from 1999 to 2010.

AHA Statement on Virtual Scholarly Exchanges in India Receives International Press Coverage (February 2021)

Several press outlets in India have covered the AHA’s statement opposing a new policy requiring advance permission to hold virtual scholarly exchanges in India. The AHA’s statement has been mentioned in the National Herald India, The Wire, and elsewhere.

AHA Executive Director Featured in Voice of America (February 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman provided historical context in a Voice of America article on the second impeachment of former US president Donald Trump. “This has never happened before, this questioning of the legitimacy of an election by people whose own party leadership and elected officials have said was fair and clean,” said Grossman. “And when you pair that with an insurrection, a mob attacking the Capitol, clearly we have a large number of Americans who are alienated from the political institutions that constitute our democracy.”

AHA Executive Director Featured in The 19th News (February 2021)

The 19th News interviewed AHA executive director Jim Grossman in an article regarding attempts by lawmakers to limit the teaching of race and slavery. “You cannot heal divisions by pretending they don’t exist,” said Grossman. “The way to address divisions is to understand the history of those divisions.”

AHA Executive Director Featured in Associated Press Article (February 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was quoted in an Associated Press article on political attempts to limit how race and slavery are taught. “The idea of simply saying you’re not going to use certain materials because you don’t like what they’re going to say without input from professionals makes no sense,” said Grossman.

Perspectives on History Editor Featured in Inside Higher Ed (February 2021)

Perspectives on History editor Ashley E. Bowen's March "Townhouse Notes" column was republished in Inside Higher Ed. “It is not history’s primary job to provide comfort in times of crisis or solace in times of anxiety,” writes Bowen. “Historians offer context and nuance in times when those things are in short supply, often asking us to check our assumptions and refine our critiques.”

AHA Executive Director Comments on San Francisco Schools Renaming Plan (February 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was quoted in a Mission Local article by Joe Eskenazi on a proposal to rename 44 San Francisco schools, after the renaming committee did not request comments from any historians. “Yes, there should have been historians involved,” said Grossman. “Whenever decisions are made, there should be people who can provide context and facts. We've learned this with COVID.” 

AHA Statement Condemning “1776 Report” Featured in Media Coverage (January 2021)

The AHA’s statement condemning the Report of the Advisory 1776 Commission has been featured in The Guardian, the Las Vegas Sun, the Moultrie News, Politico, Revolt.tv, the Christian Post, Commons Dreams, Detroit Free Press, Statehouse Report, The Philadelphia Tribune, and Daily Beast.

AHA Executive Director Featured in Hechinger Report (January 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was interviewed in a Hechinger Report article on whether the US educational system is responsible for the rise in political extremism. “You can’t blame the teachers and starve the teachers at the same time,” said Grossman. “We’ve starved our public schools, so you can’t say it’s the fault of the public schools unless you say it’s the fault of the American public for refusing to pay the taxes required to support an effective educational system.”

AHA Staff Member Featured in AccuWeather Article (January 2021)

AHA communications and marketing manager Jeremy C. Young was recently featured in an AccuWeather article on inclement weather during historical US presidential inaugurations. Young explained that one of the reasons behind switching the date of the inauguration from March to January was weather related: “It supposedly snows less often on Jan. 20 than on March 4 in Washington, DC.”

AHA President and Executive Director Discuss 1776 Report (January 2021)

AHA president Jacqueline Jones (Univ. of Texas at Austin) and AHA executive director Jim Grossman wrote an editorial in the New York Daily News discussing the report of the 1776 commission, which Grossman and Jones describe as “political propaganda masquerading as history.”

AHA Executive Director Comments on White House 1776 Report (January 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was quoted in the 74, Colorado Springs Independent, Independent, Inside Higher Ed, New York Times, NBC News, Politico, Stuff, Washington Post, and KITV4 ABC commenting on the report issued by the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission. “It’s a hack job. It’s not a work of history,” Grossman told the Post. “It’s a work of contentious politics designed to stoke culture wars.”

AHA Resource Covered in Inside Higher Ed and New York Times (January 2021)

The AHA’s Twitter thread that compiled resources for educators seeking to contextualize the events of January 6 received coverage in both the New York Times and Inside Higher Ed. This list of resources is also available as a web page.

AHA Executive Director Featured in Inside Higher Ed (January 2021)

AHA executive director Jim Grossman was featured in an article in Inside Higher Ed that discussed the January 6, 2021, crisis in the US Capitol. Grossman added historical context to the day’s events, saying, “Everything has a history, and what is happening at the US Capitol is part of a historical process that needs to be understood.” Grossman also noted that the rioters are “people whose historical sensibilities have been nurtured by popular culture and cynical politicians willing to manipulate bigotry for self-interested purposes.”

AHA Staff Featured in Wall Street Journal (January 2021)

AHA director of academic and professional affairs Emily Swafford was featured in a Wall Street Journal article regarding PhD admissions for the fall 2021 cycle. “Historians don’t really say ‘unprecedented,’ because everything has a precedent. But this sort of large-scale pausing is very strange,” said Swafford.